Offices, bungalows allocated; no decision on portfolios yet

The general administration department of the state government has allocated bungalows and offices to the new ministers, but there is no consensus on portfolios due to differences between the ruling alliance partners. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had a meeting with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to address the issue. Ajit Pawar has been given a new chamber on the sixth floor of the building. The new ministers have been given accommodation near Mantralaya since the bungalows at Malabar Hill are occupied. The cabinet expansion is expected to take place soon.

The general administration department of the state government on Tuesday completed allocating bungalows and offices to the nine new ministers, including deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Mumbai, July 03 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar addresses a press conference, at the Sahyadri State Guest House, in Mumbai on Monday. (ANI Photo) (Deepak Salvi)

However, there is no consensus on the portfolios for the new ministers reportedly due to differences between the three partners in the ruling alliance. Late on Tuesday night, chief minister Eknath Shinde had a meeting with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar over the issue, sources said.

According to officials at Mantralaya, Pawar has been given a chamber on the sixth floor of the building for which two senior secretaries - Brijesh Singh from chief minister’s office and Shrikar Pardeshi from the deputy CM’s office - were asked to vacate their cabins. The three smaller offices were merged to form a bigger one for Pawar, the sources added.

Since the government bungalows at Malabar Hill are occupied by the Shiv Sena and BJP ministers, the new ministers were given accommodation near Mantralaya. Officials said Chhagan Bhujbal was given house no. B6 while Hasan Mushrif was allocated K8, Dilip Walse Patil was given K1, and Dhananjay Munde got K6. Ministers Dharmarao Baba Atram, Anil Bhaidas Patil and Sanjay Bansode were given flats in Suruchi apartments.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant said the cabinet expansion would take place soon.

“The three leaders (Shinde, Pawar and Fadnavis) know the balance. All the information going out in public is wrong. They will take amicable decisions considering all the leaders and their seniority and abilities. This is only natural that when an ally is increased, we give our share. But we are together for the same motto of realising (Prime Minister) Narendra Modiji’s vision of development,” he said.

Shiv Sena chief whip Bharat Gogavale claimed that he would be made the guardian minister of Raigad and not his political rival Tatkare of the NCP. Gogavale had a meeting with the CM on Tuesday.